GameRecap: Blues Split Back-To-Back Set

Just like night and day, the St. Louis Blues performances against the Anaheim Ducks and LA Kings were very different.

The 7-4 loss to the Ducks was a perpetuation of the same trends miring the Blues below the waterline. Great stretches of play where little playing was to be found. Far too many passengers on the highway to h-e-double hockey sticks. As in the previous four failures, the difference of one period’s play made the difference.

As stern payback by the (Mighty) Ducks for the walloping they were given back in October. Then the Blues took a page out of Anaheim’s playbook. The game may have been “lost” but they wouldn’t be pushed around. Between the 13:47 and 17:22 mark of the third four fights erupted. Ending up in 62 PIMs in less than 5 minutes time and a 78 total for the game.

Better late than never to receive the message?

The hot tempered actions didn’t boil over to Thursday’s affair in LA. Instead the energy carried over in to controlled emotion and renewed confidence. Aside from the first quarter of the second period, confidence snowballed in to execution. Those in white sweaters looked to be on strings attached to the fingers of Davis Payne. Whatever the course of action taken, it was generally the decision Payne’s system calls for. As it has before, adherence to the code of play defined by the bench boss as “St. Louis Blues hockey”, produced results.

Will this third hard lesson be the one that sinks in? Won’t know till Saturday in San Jose.

Back to Back Quick Hits

- Ty Conklin stopped 17 of 24 shots against Anaheim. The 5th time in 9 starts, 6th time overall, Conks has allowed 4 goals or more in a game this season. Jonas Hiller stopped 30 of 34 Blues shots.

- Jaroslav Halak was rock solid against LA. Facing 25 shots and turning away 24. Kudos to Halak for taking his beatings. The Kings were in his crease several times causing trouble. There was one instance where around 8 or 9 skaters were in the crease and the officals refused to blow the play dead. Protect the goaltender? Jonathan Quick was far from solid. He looked uncomfortable handling the puck all night and allowed 3 goals on 21 shots.

- Once again David Backes was the top performer for the Blues. Netting 2 goals and registering 8 shots in the two tilts. Worth noting that after another slow start he is pacing for a 27 goal campaign and has a legitimate shot at 30 goals and 70 points

- The Peoria Line, comprised of Chris Porter, Phil McRae and Ryan Reaves, formed a respectable trio. Reaves scored once in each game and McRae picked up his first NHL point assisting on Reaves game winning goal in LA.

- The pairings were shuffled against LA, reuniting Barret Jackman and Roman Polak. Those two, as well as Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson, did a good job of matching up against the Anze Kopitar line. Kopitar ended with 5 shots and 10 attempts, but was denied time and space to rev up his engine. Backes’ deserves some credit there as well.

- Totals on the draw: 58 won – 57 lost. Jay McClement was a solid 16 for 28. McRae was 10 for 11.

- Alex Pietrangelo keeps getting better. The rust from his shoulder injury seems to have been brushed off as he posted 2 assists and a Plus-3 for the set. He was Even against the Ducks. Erik Johnson is also improving. Picking up an assist in each game as well and a Plus-3 rating. He was a Plus-2 in the 3 goal differential loss to Anaheim. Against LA one several offensive zone draws Payne put both EJ and Petro on the ice. That combination lead to two goals.

- Brad Winchester continued his solid play. He is one of a few who have grabbed ahold of opportunity recently. As has Matt D’Agostini.

- Brad Boyes and Alex Steen pursued the puck and worked the corner boards very well to set up the third goal Thursday. That type of play hasn’t been seen much since David Perron and TJ Oshie went out. Those two are masters of attacking the puck carrier, working down low to create space to come out and get pucks to the net. Boyes has points in 4 straight with Thursday’s assist on Steen’s goal.

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